Getting Into the Word: Straight Outta Ezekiel!

My aunt Evangelist Carolyn McKinney  posted this tag about children taking personal responsibility in her Facebook group, Armed and Extremely Dangerous Warriors the Kingdom.   This is what Ezekiel Chapter 18 is about in a nutshell, our Bible study lesson this week!

The Israelites tried to blame their exile in Babylonian captivity on the sins of their forefathers,  as if they did nothing themselves to deserve it.  The prophet Jeremiah warned them time and again to repent and turn from their wicked ways, and so did his contemporary Ezekiel. The Iraelites weren't hearing their loose rap, though.  They worshipped idols and did everything they were big and bad enough to do. They cited a proverb from the past (v2), "The parents eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are on edge," but God wasn't hearing that either!  He told them He didn't want to hear that proverb ever again, because they were using it to shift blame and avoid taking responsibility for their sins.  He said in v4, "The person who sins is the one who will die."

He goes on to say in v20, "The child will not be punished for the parent's sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child's sins. Righteous people will be rewarded for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness."

Children need to be taught from a young age to take responsibility for their actions, and what the Word of God says about this in Ezekiel 18.  This trumps generational curses. And even if they are not rewarded by the world's standards, God will reward them for their right acts by His standard because He is a just God.  Jesus saves!